Pierce Hawthorne’s time at Greendale Community College ended far to soon. After the fourth season, Chevy Chase — who feuded with Community creator Dan Harmon frequently — left the show, and Pierce was killed off at the beginning of Season 5. But despite all the drama, Pierce left us with plenty of great moments, and today, on Chase’s 71st birthday, let’s take a look back at some of the best…

When he told Fat Neil the horrifying truth.
Pierce was pretty much a jerk from Day One, but in Season 2, he became the clear villain of the show. That was particularly blatant in the “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” episode, where he spends the entire time gleefully taunting poor Fat Neil. Of course, he may not be as bad as Jeff, who actually gave Neil the nickname in the first place.

He wasn’t any nicer to poor Vicky, either.
“I’m gonna eat your brains Vicky, I’m gonna slurp ’em right out of that melon you call a head.” Yeah, Pierce Hawthorne doesn’t mess around. Although he probably wishes he hadn’t said that when his microphone was on…

When he coined and minted one of the greatest phrases of our time.
And if you have to ask what it means, you’re streets behind.

His expert advice on picking classes AND losing your virginity.
“Just pick one, they all cost the same.” Well, he’s nothing if not honest.

Pierce was one of my favorite parts of that show, he was incredible at times. The only thing I wish Chevy had done that he refused to do was the final tag on the video game episode. The way I hear it was Abed wrote a special program into the game that allowed Pierce to play catch with his old man. Then he would thank Abed and it would be a real moment of closure for the character of Pierce and his father. Chevy Chase apparently said fuck this and went home instead, and I completely understand how Dan Harmon absolutely hates him for that and then made some drunken stupid mistakes along the way like playing his voicemails.

The bottom line for me was Piece was a great character, and even when played reluctantly by Chevy hit all the right notes for me.

The show’s been shedding major cast members since NBC made the mistake of firing Dan Harmon. Even now that he’s back, I don’t know if Community will ever be able to recapture what made it so great in the first three seasons without the Greendale 7.